"Very flattering, but I'm not packing
my bags," said Judge Sandra Day
O'Connor, Arizona Court of Appeals,
about being considered for the U.S.
Supreme Court vacancy.
" I don't have the appointment and I
still have a long way to go.''
SHE TALKED TO the Herald-Post
about her El Paso background today
by phone from Phoenix, just before
she and her husband left for the northern
Arizona mountains on a vacation.
"My parents are Harry and Ada
Mae Day," she said. "They live on the
Lazy B Ranch in the New Mexico and
Arizona area , where they've always
lived. My folks have lived on the Lazy
B since 1880.
"When I went to El Paso to school, I
lived with my grandmother, Mrs. W.
W. Wilkey. I went to Radford School
for Girls for many, many years and
then to Austin High School for the
last two years .''
SHE WAS GRADUATED from Austin
in 1946 and recalls her school days
as very happy. She remembers some
old schoolmates : "Cita Fletcher was
one of my close friends," she said. "I
remember Sam Young Jr .. .. Rondy
Hill ... Paquita Schwartz." My aunt Evelyn Wooten lived in
El Paso, but she's now in Houston. My
uncle Scott Wilkey still lives in El
Paso.

"My cousin, Flornoy Davis, married
Sal Manzo, and they lived in El
Paso after his retirement from the
military. They now live in Houston.
Another El Paso cousin is Mrs. John
(Amanda) Kipp." She visits El Paso
on occasion, she said.
MEANWHILE HER former classmates and friends were excited over the prospect of her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Washington Post, quoting well-placed administration officials , reported
this week that Judge O'Connor
has been interviewed for the high
court opening and is being eyed as the
front-runner to fill the vacancy .
She is remembered in El Paso as
"smart, attractive and popular. "
"I sure hope she gets the appointment,"
said Malcolm McGregor , an
attorney and former state representative who was in Judge O'Connor's Austin graduating class.

"She got into
politics in Arizona about the same
time I got into politics here, and she
went on to be state senator. She's a
very bright and attractive person and
I think the prospect of her appointment
is exciting."
NANCY MILLER Hamilton, who
was in the same Austin graduating
class , remembers her. "She was very
smart and attractive," Mrs. Hamilton
said .
" She was an honor student. She
wore her hair short and she moved
away after graduation . I certainly
hope she's appointed!" Mrs. Hamilton
is a member of the UT El Paso
News and Information Department.
Judge O'Connor, as Sandra Day,
was very involved with school activities . The Austin High School yearbook
lists her as secretary of the National
Honor Society, secretary of the
Masque and Gavel Club, and secretary of Kalevala, a writer's club. She
also belonged to the Round-Up Club,
Pan-American Club and the Planners
Club.

BILL BERRYIULL , Advertising Department Director , Newspaper Printing Corp., another of her classmates, said, "She was a very likeable girl. She got along with everyone and was very popular. She didn't date
much and lived in the Federal Street
area."
"We called her Sandy," said attorney
Sam Blackham, another classmate.

"She wasn't the cheerleader type.
She was pleasant, made good grades ,
was tall with black hair as I recall . I
had an English class with her. Yes, I
remember Sandra Day as a hard
worker."
MRS. BETTY Jagoe Barefoot, who
also graduated from Austin in 1946:
"Sandra Day was smart, nice looking,
pleasant and quiet." Mrs. Barefoot
remembered Judge O'Connor's cousin,
Flomoy Davis, and her aunt who
lived on Federal Street.
"We were friends," said Mickie
Patton Urquhart. "She was very
pleasant, smart and a really lovely
person."
Keith Appleby , who was assistant
principal at Austin from 1947-51, said
he'd never met Sandra Day, but he
recalls the late W.W. Wimberly, Austin
principal, reminiscing about some of the students.

"HE SPOKE OF HER as an outstanding person and student," Appleby said.